COMING YOUR WAY

Dan Whitehouse

Wolverhampton singer/songwriter Dan Whitehouse is coming back home on May 4.

The talented musician is supporting fellow Wulfrunian Scott Matthews at The Newhampton Arts Centre, Whitmore Reans, although the concert is sold out.

Perhaps more importantly Dan is moving away from EPs and has collected enough of his own material, ably abetted by Michael and Steve Clarke, to release his first, and eponymously titled, full album which is out on May 23.

Dan has served his time and has played many of the major festivals and his album is currently getting airplay on Radio 6.

On the album you can hear Dan flexing his vocal range with tracks which certainly brings to mind artists such as Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Donovan and Peter Gabriel.

Whether these influences are conscious or otherwise remains to be seen, but in between these is the breathy and distinctive voice of Dan who is able to convey real emotion in his singing.

There are nice little evocative twists among the tracks such as Three Bodies which could easily be the sound of a busker on the streets of Paris.

Perhaps the tracks which gives you Dan at his stripped down best is Hold on to What We Have in which the music has more than a tinge of Pink Floyd to it.

The album comes with ambitious renderings such as the thumping rhythm of Fire of Lust and In My Stupid Face, Dan uses sound effects very well which is reminiscent of Roxy Music's early experimentations.

All in all this is a very thoughtful and reflective first offering which Dan should be proud of and is well worth a listen.

For more information go to www.dan-whitehouse.com